Democrats lay out a big-government wish list for a possible House takeover
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House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the party would focus on restoring ACA tax credits, reversing Medicaid cuts, ending the Iran conflict, and rolling back Trump-era tariffs if they win control of the House.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said the party’s agenda would center on making health care more affordable, reversing recent Medicaid cuts, ending U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict and rolling back tariff measures enacted under President Donald Trump. Jeffries outlined five working groups targeting health care, housing, food and energy costs, and caregiving, with each one co-led by a progressive and a centrist Democrat as the party tries to paper over internal divisions and assemble a platform that is broad but still coherent.
Illinois Representative Nikki Budzinski, who is expected to chair the New Democrat Coalition, said Democrats aim to show they can govern. Texas Representative Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, dismissed concerns that a more diverse Democratic caucus would be fragmented, insisting that progressives intend to advance legislation rather than stall it.
Republican Speaker Mike Johnson warned that, if Republicans retain control, they would continue the current agenda of tax cuts and reduced federal spending. Johnson told CNBC’s Squawk Box that the next two years would bring a continuation of policies aimed at strengthening the economy, a contrast to the tax-and-spend instincts Democrats are eager to revive.
Democrats plan to quickly move to reinstate the Affordable Care Act’s health-care tax credits, which expired in 2025, and to reverse Medicaid work-requirement provisions introduced by Republicans. They also intend to introduce legislation to repeal Trump-era tariffs and to push war-powers resolutions that could limit U.S. military action in Iran, moves that critics would likely view as weakening pressure on adversaries and raising costs at home.
The feasibility of the agenda will depend on the size of any Democratic majority in the House and on the composition of the Senate. Justice Democrats spokesperson Usamah Andrabi said the party cannot simply return to the previous status quo, while Louisiana Representative Troy Carter warned that the workload would be extensive and that immediate fixes would not be possible.